Augustine Washington Sr. was an American planter and merchant. He was the father of the first president of the United States, George Washington. Born into the planter class of the British colony of Virginia, Washington owned several slave plantations, from which he derived the primary source of his wealth. He also speculated in land development and owned an iron mine. Although Washington never sat in the House of Burgesses, unlike his father and son, he served in various government positions in the counties where he owned land.